JVC L-A31 1980's 'v' modern Pro-ject Debut 3

[BlimeyCharlie]

Hi,

Considering replacing my JVC L-A31 turntable as I've seen a Pro-ject Debut 3 for sale locally.
Nowt wrong whatsoever with JVC, looks nice with rest of 1980's amp etc, but just wondered if this will produce 'better' sound?

I realise it is mainly the amp that provides the sound...but does it?

Have a pre-amp box thingy so could just plug this in and sell the JVC.
The Pro-ject is circa £100 and JVC worth about the same I think.

Any thoughts and advice most welcome.

Cheers.

[Lucid_AV]

The JVC is from the early 80s; '82 or '83 at a guess. Direct drive was a Japanese forté. A lot of European and British turntables ran with idler wheels or belt drive. DD had better speed stability but was more expensive to manufacture.

The Pro-Ject is what I'd go for. Its had the benefit of 30 year's worth of advances in engineering and manufacturing.

The motors are quiet and very speed stable. The sonic isolation by the feet works really well. CNC machining has brought the cost of bearings and such right down. The single piece tonearms knock spots off the 80s Japanese designs.

The Debut III is a really good turntable; very musical, and probably much better than the partnering amp and speakers at similar price points (c. £300-£400 ea). This means you could keep this TT through several upgrades of amp and speakers and keep on revealing more of its performance time and time again.

The worst case scenario is you buy it but your current amp and speakers aren't up to showing you what this deck can do. For £100 purchase cost you could sell the Debut on again without losing a penny.

Turntables are still trending, so now would be a good time to sell the JVC for those looking for a mix of nostalgia and the convenience of the auto return feature.

There's a good review of the Debut III from Stereophile mag. https://www.stereophile.com/turntables/pro-ject_de...

[BlimeyCharlie]

Alas, I was too late, it had sold the day before I'd even seen it.

Thanks for info though, and taking the time to write it all down. I'll bear the above in mind as I'm sure I'll spot another bargain.

[Nico Adie]

What cartridge do you have on your JVC at the moment?

[Deranged Rover]

The JVC is a perfectly respectable budget 1980s offering. It should spin reliably and quietly long after you and I are gone and it will turn in a perfectly respectable performance. As has been alluded to above, a new cartridge may well give it a new lease of life - an Audio Technica AT-3600 from eBay for about £20 may well surprise you.

However, that said, the Pro-ject should give it a sound spanking! They're very good decks.